Suzume Aburame/First Regeneration
Suzume Aburame. Wife of Kisui Iyoku, mother of Kakeya Iyoku, and fresh off of a regeneration thanks to Kisui. Before her regeneration, she was on her deathbed, about to breathe the last breaths of her life, happy to see Kisui one last time. But Kisui had a proposition that would change her life forever; He was still fresh within his regeneration cycle, meaning he had a ton of excess energy to burn off. What better way to help vent that energy than to grant the gift of the Iyoku Clan's regenerative abilities to the woman who felt so left out in the shadow of her husband and daughter? Seeing the benefits greatly in her favor, she accepted the proposal. With a burst of energy, Suzume's body changed drastically, transforming from the frail body of her previous form, to the beautiful, robust appearance of her current form. Feeling a surge of energy she hasn't felt in a very long time, she felt a renewed sense of purpose, ready to see the world once more. And she wanted to be by her husband's side while she did it. With their daughter's graces, they continued on their journey, making their way towards Sunagakure to investigate the mysterious events taking place there. Background Having felt devastation from losing Kisui to the war against the Jashinists, Suzume's health went on a sharp decline, until it finally reached its macabre crescendo, rendering her bedridden. Kakeya did her best to try and tend to her sickness, but nothing helped. Suzume was convinced that she wanted to pass on, to be with Kisui. But then came that fateful day; On the day of her last breath, she saw him once again. He had a new face, but she knew it was the man she married so many years ago. Though she was content in seeing him again, it brought sadness knowing he wouldn't be there to wait for her in the pure realm. But those lamentations faded away at the sound of Kisui's proposition; Grant her the powers of regeneration, like that possessed by him and Kakeya, so they could always be a family and stand up against whatever the world had to throw at them. Knowing the only other alternative is to be lonely in the pure realm and knowing Kisui himself would be equally as lonely, she took the proposition of her closest friend, the man she loved for more than thirty years. She trusted him through thick and thin, and that trust wasn't about to falter now. As he grabbed onto her hand, he coursed his regenerative energy into her, kickstarting her own regeneration. As her body glowed brighter than the sun setting on the horizon, her body transformed. What was once frail and sick, was renewed, strong, and beautiful. But that's not what made her happy. What made her happy was finally being able to keep up with her husband and daughter, something she felt she was never able to do. As her and Kakeya talked with Kisui as he told them everything that happened, Kisui was summoned by the book in his possession, a book with various newspaper clippings that detailed suspicious events. Having been in Sunagakure once, Kisui thought he investigated enough to find a lead, but found nothing before his return to Tanigakure. The book once again led him to Sunagakure to investigate further. Asking if Suzume and Kakeya wanted to go with him, Suzume accepted, but Kakeya chose to stay behind, knowing her Daimyō duties meant she had to stay in the Land of Rivers. But nonetheless, she gave them her blessings, and requested that they come back every now and then to let her know what they've done, and if she can help with diplomatic situations that require someone with a rank in leadership. Appearance If one were to ask Kisui how Suzume's regenerated appearance was, he'd say words alone wouldn't describe her, but he feels he'd say that no matter how she looked. Anyone else would be willing to believe what Kisui said. Her beauty emanates through her appearance and personality. With short, unkempt hair that shines a light, golden blonde in the light, it rests gently above her shoulders. Her eyes are a golden hue, said to contain the endless celestial energy Kisui poured into her to make her regeneration possible. Standing at a lithe four feet in height, she's somewhat short, but her figure complements her stature perfectly. She further complements her figure with her choice in apparel. Wearing a short dress, the dress is colored in tones of dark grey, she dresses over it with a jacket that extends down to her legs, colored dark blue with red trim, and dark fur on the neck. She wears black leggings and a pair of matching shinobi sandals. While in her armored attire, she wears a happuri that protects her forehead. Around her shoulders is a tattered over garment with a black cloak adorned with matching black fur that drapes down her back. Under that is a suit of dark steel plate armor that stops at the legs, which are covered by black leggings and steel plate boots. She often carries a banner bearing the mark of the Iyoku Clan with this attire. Personality Much like her previous regeneration, Suzume is a very outstanding individual. Outgoing, positive, and overly optimistic, Suzume likes to see the bright side in the darkest times. It helps keep her going, and her personality provides something of an inspiration to those around her, especially of the people of Tanigakure. But she knows there's always going to be a time when positivity and optimism aren't enough, and knows to bolden her emotions when necessary. In combat, her emotions bear to light a serious, but optimistic combatant. She is one of little doubt, and is known to make the right judgement calls in the toughest of situations. Abilities Thanks to the new life given to her by her regeneration, Suzume has dedicated herself to improving her skills, not just as a combatant, but as an Aburame. With Kisui by her side, her training has allowed her to gain new skills, skills she never would have thought possible in her previous form. The Will of Lightning runs through her blood, even after her old body has long disappeared. Her unwillingness to give up in the face of even the strongest adversity makes her a worthy opponent to anyone who ever faces her. But another determinate side of her has also grown as she got older; The Will of Love. Her love for Kisui, for Kakeya, it grants her the strength to keep pushing on no matter what stands in her way. Even when she's broken and down to her last breath, she doesn't stop until she can't move another inch. Aburame Clan Techniques As an Aburame, even in her regeneration, she still retained the insects she had that was granted to her. She was one of the more unique members of her clan, granted two types of insects that serve different purposes. Her main insects, the Japanese Giant Hornet, deliver painful, potentially deadly stings, that induce a necrotic effect, causing the skin around the sting area to rot. This can cause deadly side effects such as infection and sepsis, eventually leading to a slow and painful death. When combined with her Yin-Yang Release inherited from Kisui's regenerative energy, the hornets gain the ability to blend in with their surroundings, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye. The sound of their wings is also muffled, making them nearly silent as they home in on their targets. The next insect in her repertoire is the Japanese Honeybee. This antithesis to the Japanese Giant Hornet has a special way of dealing with threats. By surrounding their attacker, they gather around them with their wings pointed inward. They then vigorously flap their wings, causing the air temperature inside the sphere of bees to humanely unbearable levels. Those that don't suffocate from the lack of oxygen end up dying of hyperthermia, better known as heat stroke. Combined with Suzume's Yin-Yang Release, the Japanese Honeybees gain resistance to their own heat and Fire Release techniques, protecting them from any attempts to burn them out. This also allows them to negate even the strongest Fire Release techniques. By encasing the flames with their bodies, the bees deprive the flames of oxygen, killing off the fire completely. Taijutsu Suzume noticed how much Kisui relied on taijutsu, especially the base form of all his taijutsu, Aiki. Wishing to train herself in such skills as well, she picked up some skill watching her husband fight and took notice of the areas he preferred to hit most; The weak points. But Kisui mostly utilized joint locks and such in order to provide an opening. Suzume thought that the process could be expedited even further by taking advantage of the body's weak points more frequently. So she picked up the martial art known as Varma kalai. This ancient style relies on completely controlling the opponent via the pressure points, nerves, and tendons in their body. By striking tendons sensitive to impact, Suzume can take the fight out of her opponent very quickly. A well placed strike to the throat can knock the wind out of her opponent, leaving them wide open for further punishment. Striking the tendons inside the inner portion of the bicep eliminates their ability to punch effectively. Severing these tendons means they can't fight back effectively, if at all. Striking the solar plexus can cause the body to go haywire, as the bundle of nerves are connected to important areas of the body. It can also cause broken ribs, further amplifying the damage Suzume deals with Varma kalai. Striking the center portion of the spine hard enough can cause her opponent to completely lose any feeling in their legs, even potentially paralyzing them. The tendons in the legs are especially sensitive. The tendons known as the hamstrings can be kicked to cause the opponent to kneel, while also potentially severing the tendons, preventing them from getting back up. The tendons in the ankle are exceptionally weak to repeated attack, and the tendons can be easily severed with minimal effort. All in all, Suzume is well verse to take her opponents down by taking the fight out of them. Kenjutsu One of the skills Suzume took interest in was the art of the sword. Having been bequeathed a thin bladed sword, she figured she could teach herself how to utilize it in the way her hornets fight; The thrust of the blade representing its ferocious sting. The art of fencing relies on gracious steps combined with elusive parries and well timed counter attacks. Carefully chosen attacks allow Suzume to bide her time, wait for the perfect moment to deal the most amount of damage in a single blow. Such patience requires the tempered mind of an elder, and possessing the wisdom and patience of her former self, her new body allows her to take as much time as she needs until she finds the opening she wants to counter against. When combined with her Yin-Yang energies, she can create a phantom blade that attacks just shortly after her swing. Not only does this throw off her opponent, but also allows her to create her own opening if she feels her opponent won't give her one.